Washing bag



E. B. LYON WASHING BAG July 8, 1952 Filed June 2. 1949 I N VEN TOR.

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Patented July 8, 1 952 WASHING BAG I Edna B. Lyon, Detroit, Mich. y

Application June 2, 1949, Serial No. 96,773

- My invention relates to open-mesh containers 4 or bags of Anet-woventype in which ythe various parts of the bag structure are constructedand arranged in va novel manner in order to secure maximum strength andwearing quality and to greatly facilitate the washing of articles whichmay be enclosed therein.

In recent years there has in the number of automatic washingA machines,

vnot only in the hands of private owners but also in launderettes orself-service laundries and other places where the members of the publicare permitted to carry out .the Washing loperations in been alargeincrease rented automatic washing machines. vOnejoffthe Y difficultiesof utilizingY such equipment arises from the fact that many articleswhich are nor-` mally present in a household Wash are likely to be tornorr otherwise damaged. For example, fastening means, such as belts,buckles, straps, buttons and `so forth, are more or less frequentlydamaged or detached.. Moreover, many garments are required to be washedwhich are of such'delicate structure or fragile materials as to requireprotection during the washing operation such,

for example, ascurtains, silk or lace garments,

f sheer handkerchiefs, nylonv stockings, and runners of various typesWhich are likely to .become entwined or twisted among other articlesbeing washed or in the paddles or other equipment of the washing machineitself. f y Y The primary object of my-.inventionis to so design anopen-meshbag for use in automatic washing machines that such articles asthose above-mentioned may vbe enclosed and. loosely retained thereinwhile being subjected to adequate Washing and, at the same time,protected against such damage as might otherwise occur.

My invention contemplates suchy a bag structure of relatively lightweight, constructed of such material as cotton mesh or nylon mesh inwhich the maximum linear dimension. of any openings therethrough maynever exceed 32 Vto 1%; of Van inch and in which at least 1/3 andpreferably 1/2 or more of the surface of thevmaterial may he open tofacilitate the flow of the Water therethrough and accommodate a completeand thorough washing of such goods as may be enclosed within the bag.AThe maximum sizeof the opening should be such as to-permit free iiow ofthe water through the bag and, at the same time, small enough as toconfine such portions of articles enclosed therein as maybe likely toproject therethrough. 1

Still another object of my invention is to so design such a bag as topermit practically th'e enf to disclose the securing which may readilybe lsecured or the open mesh structure and the 2 f tire surfacethereofto accommodate free'lflow ofthe water therethrough and so designedthat aminimum ofwaste will occur in theA manufacturing process. I

VMy novel vbag structure contemplates an` arrangement generally 'rectangular in form'vvhich one simple'folding operamay be constructed byror crossvvise of the irlzia'g,

tion, either lengthwise yand stitching around the edges to bejoined of,same time they Yform of resilient stitch, vsuch as the so-called suchforml as will fold in said open'dges at the are secured together lbysome overcast or other similar` stitch, which ,willpr'otect the sewededges and at'the same time insure the proper functioning of .the bagasabove set forth. J

An important novel feature of my bag is the manner in Iwhich a portiononly of one side or edge of the bag is provided with an'opening of suchcharacter as to prevent the'eg'ress'therefrom of articles onceenclosedand, at the same time, leave substantially the whole area of the bagavailable as washing surface through which the water may readily pass. Y

Another object of my invention is to design suchabag as that describedof generally rectangular form, having at least three edges completelyclosed and the fourth edge closed adjacent both .corners and Iopenfvtherebetween, with a seriesof fastening means along said open portion vreleased and of such character as will notv interfere withthe washingoperationv in automatic machines,

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective side elevation with the edgesof the opening laid back means.

Figure 2 is an enlarged View of a portion of the bag at the open end,showing in greater detail construction at the mouth end of the bag.

Figure 3 is a fragmentary view comparable'to Figure 2, illustrating azippertype fastening for the mouth of the bag.

Describing my novel structure in detail, it may be noted that the baggenerally indicated at 2 is of rectangular form vwith the opening orvrmouth 4 at the top thereof. As illustrated, said bag may be formed of asingle piece of materiall folded upon itself at the bottom `edge 6 andstitched or overcast at rthe opposite sides thereof as at 8 and I0. Thetop corners, as at I2 and I 4, are lockstitched inwardly along theupperedge thereof so that they will beclosed'and the mouth 4 may 3 bag. Alongthe inner and oppositely facing edges of the mouth |4 may be rmlysecured as by a lock-stitch as at lli and I8 (Figure 2) a tape 20 formedof closely woven material, the stitching at the ends of said tapecarryinginto the portions l2 and I4 at the opposite sides of the mouth 4and the ends of said tapes being secured by the stitching at I2 and I4.The tape 20 at one side of the mouth may have a series of snapperbuttons 22' evenly spacedY therealong and the Vopposite tape maylikewise have equally spaced therealcng snapper eyes 24. Both portionsof the snappers 22 and 24 are so enclosed within thev tapes 120 that theonly projecting parts are the button portions 22 which snap into theeyes 24. No other metal is exposed and these 'buttons,.of

course, are also enclosed when thebag. has been shut and is ready toplace in the Washing machine.

exposed.

The open-mesh .character of the. material of which 4the -bag is formedisvvel-lillustrated-at 26 in. which it may be seen,that, I haveillustrated a material which is relatively loosely woven in order toaccommodatethe free-flow of the water therethrough as ,above described,AlthoughA I have illustrated a Weave in which the warp and ,the woofeach consists of a plurality of threads relativelyclose together andseparated `from the next similar group-bye. relativelywide space,nevertheless, it: willbe understood that vary-ing formsof warp and Woofarrangements may be permitted, providing .sufficient open space isafforded .to-- accomplish theV purposes above set forth.

course, that the materialofwhich the Abag isA con-l By this means, nometal whatsoever is bunching, gathering or vfolding .overat one end ``35An important feature of my novel bag is the structed may befoldedlengthwise or crosswise of the bag. If it is. folded lengthwise,as illustrated in Figure 1, stitching will be necessary at both sidesand along the opposite edges of the top. If it is. folded crossvvise,stitching will be required. along thebottom, along oneside and atopposite, edges of the top.v It Will be readily apparent to thoseskilled in the artv that economy of certainwidth material may be securedby folding in one direction and of a different width of material may bevhad by folding 'in the other" direction, depending upon the size orsizes of the bags desired to be formed and the widthsof the varioustypes of materialbeing used. I

In any case,l however, Van important yfeature. of my arrangement, ishaving the mouth of the bag .placedv intermediately along one side orAend with closed corners at opposite edges of the mouth. This isimportant because .it permits the opening to be placed most,conveniently forr insertion or removal of the articles whichare tobeenclosed while, at the same time, permitting the corners to be securelysewed and preventing the egress therefrom of small articles, as

might otherwiseftake place if the corners, were.

not so closed.A Atv the same time, the mouth or openingof my novel bagis so `constructed as toperrnit a series offastenings to be affixedalong the edges thereof with maximum economy of space sothatsubstantially the entire surface of the'bag is available for .freeflowing of the washing medium therethrough. Economic advantages areobtained by having the mouth extended along only'oneportion of the edgeof the bag. lThis -not only reduces the number-,of .fas-

-set relatively close together.

.three sixteenths of an inch teners required and thus lowers the costbut it also permits a more secure structure of the bag itself atopposite sides of the mouth while presenting an extremely neat andconvenient arrangement. If the corners were not fully closed at oppositesides of the mouth, small ends, such as belts or sashes, would work outat the edges of the bag. This mouth structure affords an adequateopening which may be conveniently opened orclosed,A While at the* sametime it avoids of the bag as is commonly done with pins or ties. Suchbunching reduces capacity and is very objectionable because maximumsurface needs to be available for the Water to wash through.

The fastening means illustrated in Figures 1 and 2 are snapper-typefasteners, and these are It will be understood, of course, that azippertype fastener might be used to close the opening, as illustratedin the fragmentary View of Figure 3, generally similar to theview ofFigure 2 but wherein the tapes 28 and 30 at opposite sides of theopening have co-acting zipper means 32 xed therealong for closing theopening. As in the modification of Figures 1 and 2, the fastening meansare secured on Athe inner faces of the sides of the mouth andspaced'from the extreme edges lthereof so that themetal isnot exposedwhen is closed. A

tremity of said'fourth margin and adapted to close said mouthand beretained therewithin,

said mouth extending along at least one-'half the 'length of said fourthmargin, said fabric having openings in which the maximum lineardimenvsion thereof does not exceed from three thirtyseconds to threesixteenths of an inch and said openingsA comprising from one third tothree fourths of the surface of said bag, the structure and arrangementof said mouth and closing meansv affording maximum washing capacity ofsaid bag without bunching, gathering and crowding at the mouth endthereof.

2. A washing bag formed of net material folded upon itself to define oneside and stitched around the meeting edges thereof to close entirelythree 4sides and stitched along portions of the fourth side at opposite,extremities thereof, an opening formed between said extremities withclosely Woven tape means securely stitched along opposite face'sofr saidopening and into said extremities, the respective tape means at oppositefaces of said opening having complementary fastening means therealongadapted to be secured to each other to close said openingand concealsaid fastening means, said fastening means and said openingv being soconstructed and arranged as to avoid gathering and launching of said netmaterial and affording maximum capacity and Washing area, said netmaterial having open spaces therein not exceeding three thirty-secondsto and comprising not to exceed one third to three fourths of the totalsurface of said bag. Y

3. In a Washing bag, a structure formed of flexible fabric of interlacedstrands, said fabric v being folded over itself to form one side andstitched around the meeting edges thereof to form three sides entirelyclosed and a fourth side closed along portions at opposite ends thereofand open intermediate said closed portions to dene a mouth for insertionor removal of articles designed to be washed therein, said stitchedportions at opposite sides of said mouth forming closed corners of saidbag with the adjacent sides thereof to prevent escape of small articlesen` closed therewith at the mouth end of said bag, the Warp and Woofarrangementfof said fabric being so formed that the openingstherethrough comprise at least one third but not more than three fourthsof the surface thereof and each of said openings having a maximum lineardirnension not to exceed three thirty-seconds to three sixteenths of aninch, and closely Woven tape carrying snap closing means stitchedentirely around said mouth and into said adjacent portions and retainedWithin said bag when closed.

4. In a Washing bag, a structure comprising mesh material stitchedaround the meeting edges thereof to form three sides entirely closed anda fourth side closed at opposite ends thereof and open intermediate saidends to define -a mouth, and closely woven tape With fastening meansspaced therealong stitched on the opposite sides of said mouth and intosaid closed ends, said mouth and fastening means being so constructedand arranged as to afford maximum washing capacity of said bag withoutbunching or gather-v ing any portion thereof, said mesh material havingopenings with maximum linear dimensions not to exceed threethirty-seconds to three sixteenths ,of an inch and comprising at leastone third the total surface of said bag.

5. In a Washing bag, a structure comprising mesh material stitchedaround the meeting edges thereof to form three sides entirely closed andthe fourth side closed at opposite ends thereof and open intermediatesaid ends to dene a mouth .for insertion or removal of articlesrdesigned to be washed therein, closing means for said mouth soconstructed and arranged as to afford maximum capacity and washing areaat the mouth end of said bag Without gathering or bunching said meshmaterial, said mouth comprising closely Awoven tape stitched around themargins thereof and into said opposite endsy of ysaidfourth side, saidtape 'carrying spaced fastening means to close said mouth and retainsaid tape and fastening means within said mouth when closed, saidmeshmaterial affording full washing surface with openings therein havingmaximum linear dimensions not to exceed three thirty-seconds to threesixteenth of an inch and comprising at least on third of the totalsurface of said bag.

EDNA B. LYON.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS

